During his 20-year tenure as founding director of the UC Davis Genome Center, Richard Michelmore, a Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Plant Sciences, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, recruited more than 20 faculty members, led the center to prominence as a hub of technology-driven biology, and made national headlines by implementing an innovative, community-scale saliva-based COVID test. Quite the legacy for someone who never wanted the job in the first place.
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, released earlier this week, UC Davis ranked 35th in the world in the broad category of the life sciences and medicine. Previous rankings, in 2023, placed campus at 38th globally in the same category.
For many, mathematics exists solely within the confines of a blackboard, a calculator or a textbook. But ask Javier Arsuaga and he’ll tell you that mathematics exists within us, right down to our DNA.
The courtyard between Green Hall and Briggs Hall is sunny, and our trees are in full bloom. Spring is most definitely here.
And with it comes Picnic Day, the longstanding student-run UC Davis tradition, which is on Saturday, April 20. For those planning to attend, I hope you enjoy the fun and engaging activities across campus. From the parade to the doxie derby, there’s a lot to do and even more to see.
Researchers in the College of Biological Sciences have received a grant to study the role of the cerebellum in autism. “We need a more holistic understanding of the brain circuits that drive this disorder,” says Alex Nord, an associate professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB), and a researcher at the Center for Neuroscience (CNS). “The cerebellum is a key component that has been largely overlooked until recently.”
